quickfield manual

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QuickField™

Finite Element Analysis System

Version 5.8

User's Guide

Tera Analysis Ltd.


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Copyright © 2010, Tera Analysis Ltd.

All Rights Reserved.

Information contained in this document is subject to change without notice.

Tera Analysis Ltd.Knasterhovvej 21DK-5700 SvendborgDenmark

Phone: +45 8820 8201Fax: +45 8853 6948http://quickfield.com

QuickField is a trademark of Tera Analysis Ltd.DXF is a trademark of Autodesk, Inc.Microsoft and Windows are registered trademarks, and Microsoft Word is a trademark of MicrosoftCorporation.

All other brand and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.


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iii

Contents

About This Manual 1

What Is QuickField?.......................................................................................1

How to Use this Manual ........................................................................... ......1

Conventions.................................................................................................... 2

Chapter 1 Getting Started 3

Required Hardware Configuration ................................................................. 3

QuickField Installation ................................................................ ................... 3

Autorun Applet........................................................................................3

Using QuickField Setup Program............................................................4

QuickField password (for Professional version only)............................. 5

Modifying, Repairing and Removing QuickField...................................6

Installing Several Versions of QuickField Simultaneously.....................6

Configuration Notes .......................................................... ...................... 6

Chapter 2 Introductory Guide 9

Basic Organization of QuickField .................................................................. 9

Window Management Tips ...................................................... .................... 11

Problem Window...................................................................................12

Document Windows..............................................................................12

Tool Windows.......................................................................................12

Properties Window................................................................................13

Overview of Analysis Capabilities ......................................................... ......13

Magnetostatic Analysis .................................................................... .....13

Transient Magnetic Analysis................................................................. 14


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iv Contents

AC Magnetic Analysis ........................................................................ .. 15

Electrostatic Analysis ........................................................................... . 16

DC Conduction Analysis....................................................................... 16

AC Conduction Analysis....................................................................... 17

Transient Electric Field .................................................................... ..... 17

Thermal Analysis ................................................................... ............... 18 Stress Analysis ....................................................................... ............... 19

Chapter 3 Problem Description 21

Structure of Problem Database..................................................................... 21

Editing Problems ............................................................. ............................. 22

Editing problem description properties ................................................. 22

Establishing Coupling Links ................................................................. 23

Setting Time Parameters........................................................................ 25

Automatic Time Step Size Calculation in Transient Analysis .............. 26

Choosing Length Units.......................................................................... 27 Cartesian vs. Polar Coordinates............................................................. 28

Problem Properties Window ............................................................. .... 28

Chapter 4 Model Geometry Definition 31

Terminology ......................................................... ........................................ 31

Geometry Description .......................................................................... ........ 32

Creating Model Objects......................................................................... 32

Basic Objects Manipulation .................................................................. 34

Drag and Drop and Clipboard Editing .................................................. 38

Undo/Redo Operations.......................................................................... 45 Definition of Properties, Field Sources and Boundary Conditions ....... 47

Meshing Technology............................................................................. 48

Geometry Model Properties Window.................................................... 50

Tuning the View of the Model ................................................................... .. 51

Zooming ........................................................... ..................................... 51

Model Discretization Visibility ............................................................. 51

Background Grid................................................................................... 52

Exchanging Model Fragments with Other Programs ................................... 53

Importing Model Fragments from DXF Files ....................................... 53

Exporting Model Fragments to DXF Files............................................ 53


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Contents v

Copying Model Picture to Windows Clipboard .................................... 54

Exporting Model Picture ................................................................... ....54

Printing the Model........................................................................................ 54

Chapter 5 Problem Parameters Description 57

Editing properties of materials and boundary conditions....... ...................... 58

Creating a New Label................................................................................... 58

Editing Label Data........................................................................................ 59

Editing Data in DC and Transient Magnetics........................................ 59

Editing Data in AC Magnetics .............................................................. 63

Editing Data in Electrostatics ................................................................ 66

Editing Data in DC Conduction Problems ............................................ 68

Editing Data in AC Conduction Problems ............................................ 69

Editing Data in Transient Electric Analysis .......................................... 71

Editing Data in Heat Transfer Problems ............................................... 73

Editing Data in Stress Analysis............................................................. 76 Periodic Boundary Conditions .............................................................. 79

Editing Curves.......................................................................................80

Using Formulas ...................................................... ............................... 82

Copying, Renaming and Deleting Labels..................................................... 92

Chapter 6 Electric Circuit Definition 95

What is a Circuit? ........................................................................ ................. 95

How to Create a Circuit................................................................................ 96

Adding Electric Components to the Circuit .......................................... 96

Specifying Properties for Circuit Components...................................... 97 Adding Components Representing Model Blocks to the Circuit ..........98

Connecting Circuit Components with Wires......................................... 98

Editing Circuit .......................................................................... .................... 99

Moving, Copying and Resizing Circuit Elements................................. 99

Rotating Circuit Components .............................................................. 100

Deleting Circuit Elements ................................................................. ..100

Chapter 7 Solving the Problem 101

Achieving Maximum Performance.............................................................102

Adaptive Mesh Refinement........................................................................ 102


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vi Contents

Chapter 8 Analyzing Solution 105

Building the Field Picture on the Screen............ ........................................ 106

Interpreted Quantities.......................................................................... 106

Field Presentation Methods................................................................. 112

Field Picture Constructing................................................................... 113

Zooming ........................................................... ................................... 116

Selecting a Time Layer........................................................................ 116

Animation............................................................................................ 117

Calculator Window..................................................................................... 117

Examining Local Field Data....................................................................... 118

Analysis of Connected Electric Circuit ...................................................... 119

Current and Voltage Time Plots for the Circuit Elements................... 120

Parameter Calculation Wizards .................................................................. 122

Inductance Wizard............................................................................... 122

Capacitance Wizard............................................................................. 125

Impedance Wizard............................................................................... 128

Editing Contours......................................................................................... 128

X-Y Plots.................................................................................................... 130

X-Y Plot Control ..................................................................... ............ 131

Calculating Integrals................................................................................... 132

Data Tables................................................................................................. 155

Table Columns .......................................................................... .......... 155

Table Rows.......................................................................................... 156

Plots and Tables versus Time................................................................... .. 157

Time Plot .................................................................... ......................... 157

Time Plot Curves................................................................................. 158 Time Dependencies Table................................................................... 159

Controlling the Legend Display ................................................................. 160

Trajectories of Charged Particles ............................................................... 161

Theoretical Background .................................................................. .... 161

Using Trajectories ............................................................. .................. 162

Export of Field Calculation Results............................................................ 164

Printing the Postprocessor Pictures ..................................................... 165

Copying the Postprocessor Pictures .................................................... 165

Field Export into File .......................................................................... 166

Additional Analysis Opportunities ............................................................. 167


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Contents vii

Field Distribution Along the Contour Harmonic Analysis.................. 167

Partial Capacitance Matrix Calculation for the System of

Conductors ............................................................ ................ 168

Chapter 9 Add-ins 171

Add-ins Available in QuickField................................................................ 172 Advanced Add-in Features......................................................................... 173

Adding, Editing and Deleting Add-ins................................................ 173

Creating Your Own Add-ins .......................................................... .....173

Add-in Properties Dialog Box............................................................. 173

Add-in Menu Item Dialog Box ........................................................... 175

Chapter 10 Theoretical Description 177

Magnetostatics............................................................................................ 178

Field Sources........................................................... ............................ 178

Boundary Conditions...........................................................................179 Permanent Magnets .................................................................. ........... 181

Calculated Physical Quantities ............................................................ 182

Inductance Calculation........................................................................183

Transient Magnetics ................................................................... ................ 184

Field Sources........................................................... ............................ 185

Boundary Conditions...........................................................................187

Permanent Magnets .................................................................. ........... 188


AC Magnetic .................................................................... .......................... 191

Field Sources........................................................... ............................ 193 Boundary Conditions...........................................................................195


Impedance Calculation .................................................................. ......199

Electrostatics............................................................................................... 199

Field Sources........................................................... ............................ 200

Boundary Conditions...........................................................................200


Capacitance Calculation ...................................................................... 203

DC Conduction Analysis............................................................................ 203

Field Sources........................................................... ............................ 204


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viii Contents

Boundary Conditions........................................................................... 204

Calculated Physical Quantities............................................................ 205

AC Conduction Analysis............................................................................ 206

Field Sources....................................................................................... 207


Calculated Physical Quantities............................................................ 208 Transient Electric Analysis......................................................................... 210

Field Sources....................................................................................... 210



Heat Transfer.............................................................................................. 214

Heat Sources........................................................................................ 215



Stress Analysis ................................................................... ........................ 217

Displacement, Strain and Stress .......................................................... 217 Thermal Strain..................................................................................... 221

External Forces.................................................................................... 222

Restriction Conditions......................................................................... 222


Coupled Problems ............................................................... ....................... 225

Importing Joule Heat to Heat Transfer Problem ................................. 226

Importing Temperature Distribution to Stress Analysis Problem ....... 226

Importing Magnetic Forces to Stress Analysis Problem..................... 226

Importing Electric Forces to Stress Analysis Problem........................ 226

Importing magnetic state to another magnetostatic problem............... 227

Chapter 11 Examples 228

Magnetic Problems..................................................................................... 229

Magn1: Nonlinear Permanent Magnet ................................................ 229

Magn2: Solenoid Actuator ............................................................ ...... 230

Magn3: Ferromagnetic C-Magnet ....................................................... 233

Magn4: Electric Motor ............................................................ ............ 235

Magn5: Armature Winding Inductance............................................... 238

Perio1: Periodic Boundary Condition ................................................. 240

Transient Magnetic Problems..................................................................... 241


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Contents ix

TEMagn1: Transient Eddy Currents in a Semi-Infinite Solid.............241

TEMagn2: Transient Eddy Currents in a Two-Wire Line................... 242

Dirich1: Time- and Coordinate-Dependent Boundary Condition .......244

TECircuit1: Coil with Ferromagnetic Core ......................................... 247

TECircuit2: Pulse Transformer ....................................................... ....248

AC Magnetic Problems ...................................................................... ........251 HMagn1: Slot Embedded Conductor .................................................. 251

HMagn2: Symmetric Double Line of Conductors .............................. 253

HMagn3: Nonlinear ferromagnetic core in sinusoidal magnetic

field ........................................................... ............................ 254

HMagn4: Coil with ferromagnetic core .............................................. 256

Perio2: Linear Electric Motor.............................................................. 258

Circuit1: Symmetric Double Line of Conductors............................ ....259

Circuit2: Welding Transformer.............. ............................................. 260

Circuit3: Bandpass Filter.....................................................................262

Electrostatic Problems..................................................................... ........... 264 Elec1: Microstrip Transmission Line .................................................. 264

Elec2: Two Conductor Transmission Line.......................................... 266

Elec3: Cylindrical Deflector Analyzer ................................................ 267

AC Conduction Problems...........................................................................270

ACElec1: Plane Capacitor................................................................... 270

ACElec2: Cylindrical Capacitor.......................................................... 272

ACElec3: Slot Insulation.....................................................................273

Transient Electric Problems........................................................................ 276

TElec1: Nonlinear Capacitor............................................................... 276

TElec2: ZnO lighting arrester.............................................................. 277 TElec3: Stress control tube for cable termination ............................... 279

Steady State Heat Transfer Problems ......................................................... 282

Heat1: Slot of an Electric Machine ..................................................... 282

Heat2: Cylinder with Temperature Dependent Conductivity.............. 283

Transient Heat Transfer Problems..............................................................285

THeat1: Heating and Cooling of a Slot of an Electric Machine..........285

THeat2: Temperature Response of a Suddenly Cooled Wire......... .....288

THeat3: Transient Temperature Distribution in an Orthotropic

Metal Bar...............................................................................289

Stress Analysis Problems............................................................................ 292


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x Contents

Stres1: Perforated Plate .................................................................... ... 292

Coupled Problems ............................................................... ....................... 294

Coupl1: Stress Distribution in a Long Solenoid.................................. 294

Coupl2: Cylinder Subject to Temperature and Pressure ..................... 296

Coupl3: Temperature Distribution in an Electric Wire ....................... 298

Coupl4: Tokamak Solenoid................................................................. 300

Index ..............................................................................................306


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1

About This Manual

What Is QuickField?Welcome to QuickField Finite Elements Analysis System. QuickField is a

PC-oriented interactive environment for electromagnetic, thermal and stress analysis.

Standard analysis types include:

• Electrostatics.• DC and AC conduction analysis.• Linear and nonlinear DC and transient magnetics.• AC magnetics (involving eddy current analysis).• Linear and nonlinear, steady state and transient heat transfer and diffusion.• Linear stress analysis.• Coupled problems.

During a 15-minute session, you can describe the problem (geometry, material

properties, sources and other conditions), obtain solution with high accuracy and

analyze field details looking through full color picture. With QuickField, complicatedfield problems can be solved on your PC instead of large mainframes or workstations.

How to Use this ManualThis manual has eleven chapters:

Chapter 1, “Getting Started ”, describes first steps of using QuickField. In this

chapter, you will learn how to install and start the package.

Chapter 2, “ Introductory Guide”, briefly describes the organization of QuickField

and gives an overview of analysis capabilities.


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2 About This Manual

Chapter 3, “ Problem Description”, explains how to specify the analysis type and

general problem features.

Chapter 4, “ Model Geometry Definition”, explains how to describe geometry of the

model, build the mesh, and define material properties and boundary conditions.

Chapter 5, “ Problem Parameters Description”, introduces non-geometric data fileorganization, and the way to attach this file to the model.

Chapter 6 “ Electric Circuit Definition”, describes the circuit schematic editor.

Chapter 7, “Solving the Problem”, tells you how to start the solver to obtain analysis

results.

Chapter 8, “ Analyzing Solution”, introduces QuickField Postprocessor, its features

and capabilities.

Chapter 9, “ Add-ins”, describes QuickField add-ins, and methods of their creation

and use.

Chapter 10, “Theoretical Description”, contains mathematical formulations for all

problem types that can be solved with QuickField. Read this chapter to learn if

QuickField can solve your particular problem.

Chapter 11, “ Examples”, contains description of some example problems, which can

be analyzed using QuickField.

ConventionsIn this manual we use SMALL CAPITAL LETTERS to specify the names of keys on your

keyboard. For example, ENTER , ESC, or ALT. Four arrows on the keyboard,

collectively named the DIRECTION keys, are named for the direction the key points: UP

ARROW, DOWN ARROW, RIGHT ARROW, and LEFT ARROW.

A plus sign (+) between key names means to hold down the first key while you press

the second key. A comma (,) between key names means to press the keys one after

the other.

Bold type is used for QuickField menu and dialog options.


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3

C H A P T E R 1

Getting Started

Required Hardware Configuration

Operating System: Windows XP with Service Pack 2 or later,

Windows Vista,

Windows 7

Peripherals: USB port for hardware copy-protection key (not required for

Student’s version).

QuickField InstallationQuickField can be supplied on a CD, or packed in ZIP-archive. Depending on the

format, do the following:

• Professional QuickField in a ZIP-archive - unpack the archive preserving thedirectory structure and run Autorun.exe from the root of the unpacked directory

tree.

• Student QuickField in a ZIP-archive - unpack the archive in the same way andrun Setup.exe.

• QuickField on a CD - insert the CD and, if not started automatically, run Autorun.exe from the CD root.

Autorun AppletOn the left side of the Autorun screen you can see several menu topics organized in a

scrollable tree. When you highlight a topic, additional topic-related information


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4 Chapter 1 Getting Started

appears in the bottom pane. To execute the command associated with this topic

double-click it or click Run in the right-bottom corner of the window.

Menu topics allow you to:

• See the complete QuickField User's Guide in Adobe PDF format (Read User’s

Guide command);• Learn QuickField interactively (Virtual classroom command);• Find technical support and sales contact information (Contact Us);• Install additional third party software like Adobe Reader (Additional Software

command group);

• Install QuickField (Install QuickField command group).

With the Student version of QuickField the last command starts QuickField installer.

With QuickField Professional the installation steps depend on the type of license you

purchased. For single-user license, choose the Single-user QuickField option below.

If your QuickField is licensed for multiple users, install the workstation component

(Network: workstation option) on every workstation, and the license server(Network: license option) on the server computer.

Using QuickField Setup ProgramQuickField installer can be launched either from the Autorun applet or manually by

running Setup.exe found in the unpacked ZIP-archive with QuickField.

Note: Installation of QuickField always requires administrator privileges.

First of all, installer offers to review the license agreement. To continue the

installation, you must accept its conditions checking I accept the license agreement.

That activates the Install and the Advanced buttons. We strongly recommend

choosing Install which automatically installs all components of QuickField in the

default folder.

Still, if you want to change the installation folder, or, for some reason, skip

installation of individual components, choose Advanced. The installer will first

prompt you to select the installation folder for QuickField and its help system.

Secondly, it will display the tree of QuickField components. To skip installation of a

component, click the down arrow to the left of the component's name and choose

Entire feature will be unavailable. Having finished with the tree click Install to

begin the installation process.


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QuickField Installation 5

Having transferred all necessary files to your hard drive the installer might ask you to

reboot the system. Press OK to agree. If you have other software protected by

Sentinel hardware key (e.g. another version of Professional QuickField), installer

might also ask whether you want to upgrade the Sentinel system driver. We

recommend you to agree. Then attach the protection key to your computer (to the

license server computer in case of network license) and wait for the notification

message that the device is detected and ready to go. After that, QuickField is ready to

use.

If you met any troubles answering the questions of QuickField Setup program you

may try to find answers in the Installation Guide.htm file in the Doc folder on your

QuickField compact disk.

QuickField password (for Professional version only)After the end of installation you are ready to start QuickField for the first time.

Before that, you must attach your hardware copy-protection key. Having installed the

single-user licensed QuickField attach the key to the USB port of your computer.Otherwise, attach the key to the USB port of the computer acting as a license server

and be sure that the license server software is properly installed and running. This

procedure is detailed in NetLicence.htm file in the Doc folder on your QuickField

compact disk.

See also ReadMe.pdf in the Sentinel folder on the same CD.

During the first run of QuickField you must enter the password supplied by Tera

Analysis. The password is a case insensitive string of 16 Latin letters uniquely

identifying the hardware copy-protection key and the purchased subset of QuickField

options. Every time you change the key or the set of options you must enter the new

password to activate it.

If you upgrade QuickField without changing the subset of options, you can use the

same password with the upgraded version of QuickField. To make it possible you

need to choose Edit->Password from QuickField menu.

In its first run QuickField should not be used as automation server (e.g. from

LabelMover or ActiveField samples). In such case its behavior would be

unpredictable since there would be no way to enter the password. To avoid this, we

recommend starting QuickField in interactive mode immediately after the installation.


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6 Chapter 1 Getting Started

Modifying, Repairing and Removing QuickFieldHaving installed QuickField you can always modify or repair its configuration or

uninstall it from your computer. To do that, open the Control Panel and start the

Add/Remove Programs (or Programs and Features, depending on the Windows

version you are using) applet. After that, choose QuickField from the list of installed

software and choose the appropriate item from the menu.

Installer provides you with three options:

• Modify (or Change) lets you to add another QuickField component or removeany optional QuickField component that was installed on your computer;

• Repair automatically restores the installed QuickField configuration. Forexample, you might need it having unintentionally deleted some of mandatory

files or after virus attack.

• Remove (or Uninstall) completely removes QuickField from your hard disk.

Installing Several Versions of QuickField

SimultaneouslyWhen you install QuickField alongside one or several older versions installed in

different folders, old installations remain usable. You can even run them

simultaneously. However, you should be aware that each copy of QuickField attempts

to register itself in the system registry as the default handler of all QuickField

documents and automation requests. Any client program that uses QuickField will be

served by the copy of QuickField that was registered last. To register another version

of QuickField as the default handler, start it in interactive mode. On Windows Vista

and later Windows versions with UAC QuickField successfully registers itself only

when it is started with administrator’s privileges.

If you remove (uninstall) any of installed QuickField versions, a part of informationrelated to other versions is also removed from the system registry. To restore usability

of another QuickField version after such action, you would have to start that version

in interactive mode.

Configuration NotesTo solve very large problems on a computer with insufficient memory it is essential

that virtual memory is configured optimally.

To manage virtual memory settings:


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QuickField Installation 7

1. Bring up Control Panel and double-click System.

2. Switch to Performance tab.

3. See Windows Help for details.


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9

C H A P T E R 2

Introductory Guide

This chapter briefly describes the basic organization of the QuickField program. It

presents an overview of the available capabilities.

The aim of this chapter is to get you started with modeling in QuickField. If you are

new to the QuickField, we strongly recommend you to study this chapter. If you

haven't yet installed QuickField, please do so. For information on installing

QuickField, please see Chapter 1.

Basic Organization of QuickFieldIn QuickField, you work with several types of documents: problems, geometry

models, material libraries and so on. Each document is opened into a separate

window within the main application window of QuickField. You can open any

number of documents at once. When switching between windows, you switch from

one document to another. Only one document and one window are active at a time, so

you can edit the active document. Editing actions are listed in the menu residing onthe top of main window of QuickField. Menu contents are different for different

document types. You can also use context-specific menus, which are available by

right-button mouse clicking on specific items in document window.

The QuickField documents are:

Problem corresponds to specific physical problem solved by QuickField. This

document stores the general problem parameters, such as the type of analysis

("Electrostatics", "Magnetostatics", "Heat transfer" and etc.) or the model type (planar

or axisymmetric). The detailed description of working with problems is given in

Chapter 3.


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10 Chapter 2 Introductor y Guide

Geometric Model is a complete description of the geometry, the part labels and the

mesh of your model. Several problems may share the same model (this is particularly

useful for coupling analysis). Editing models is described in details in Chapter 4.

Property Description, or Data documents are specific to types of analysis

(Electrostatics data, Stress Analysis data, etc.) These documents store the values of

material properties, loadings and boundary conditions for different part labels. Data

documents can be used as material libraries for many different problems. The detailed

description of how to specify material properties and boundary conditions is given in

Chapter 5.

Electric Circuit defines the associated electric circuit and the parameters of its

elements. You can associate circuits with problems of the following types:

• AC Magnetics• Transient Magnetics

For the problem to be solved and analyzed, it must reference the model and data

documents. For convenience, the problem can reference two data documents at once:one document containing properties for commonly used materials (material library),

and another document containing data specific for the problem or group of problems.

The last of QuickField documents stores the solution results. QuickField creates it

while solving the problem. The file always has the same name as and belongs to the

same folder as the problem description file. Its extension is .res.

Between sessions, QuickField documents are stored in disk files, separate file for

each document. During the session, you can create new documents or open existing

ones. The detailed description of how to get and explore the results of the analysis is

given in Chapter 7 and Chapter 8.

Using this very flexible architecture, QuickField helps you build and analyze your

design problems very quickly. In analyzing a problem, the typical sequence of phases

that you go through with QuickField is depicted in the flowchart below:


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Window Management Tips 11

Window Management TipsQuickField is a multi-document application, so you can work with several documents

– geometry, materials, results, etc. – at once. We will discuss dealing with specific

documents later; here are the common principles for creating and opening documents,

switching between the editors and arranging the windows.

There are three basic window types in QuickField:

1. The Problem window presents the structure of the problem and its components.

2. The Document window shows graphics and tables related to the model geometry,

or the field picture, the circuit, etc.

3. Tools windows display additional information and provide control functions.

Windows of each type can be differently arranged on the screen.


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Problem WindowThe problem window is normally docked on the left side of the main QuickField

window. When several problems are open at once, their windows can be docked side

by side, or in a column, or they can be tabbed in a single pane, leaving maximum

space for graphics. This window can also be left floating on top of the other windows.

To move the problem window, simply drag it to the new position holding by the

window title. While dragging, the possible docking positions are shown by the

diamond shaped arrows. When you move the pointer over the diamonds, QuickField

shows the corresponding rectangle where the window can be docked if you release

the mouse button.

Document WindowsQuickField document windows, such as the model editor, the field plot, or the electric

circuit window, occupy the main are of the QuickField workspace; they cannot be

docked. For fast switching between these windows, there is a tab bar near the bottomedge of the main window, similar to the Windows task bar.

A document window can be minimized to an icon, or maximized, or arranged with its

regular size and position, which you can change by dragging any corner or edge of

the window. This is useful to display several document windows at once. QuickField

can also tile all document windows automatically, when you choose Tile Vertically

or Tile Horizontally in the Window menu.

Some document windows can be split into two or four panes. To split the window,

drag the small gray rectangle on top of the vertical scrollbar or on the left of the

horizontal scrollbar. You can also choose Split in the Window menu. To switch

between panes, click it with the mouse or use F6.

To restore the single view, double-click the splitter or drag it to the window border

until it disappears.

Tool WindowsFinally, the tool windows–the field calculator, color legend, circuit elements list, etc.

–are usually docked within the corresponding document window. Like the problem

window, you can drag and dock tools within their parent’s boundaries. When

floating, tools can be dragged anywhere on the screen, even to another monitor.


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Overview of Analys is Capabilities 13

Properties WindowThe Properties window can be opened using the Properties command in the View

menu. This window is docked to the problem window (as shown in the picture) by

default or or can switched to floating. The Properties window displays different

editing fields relevant to the current object (the problem, geometry model, etc.) Some

properties are for information only (shown in grey), the others can be changed by

typing in the new value or selecting from the dropdown list. The changed property

value comes into effect immediately.

Overview of Analysis CapabilitiesThis section provides you with the basic information on different analysis

capabilities. For detailed formulations of these capabilities see Chapter 10.

Magnetostatic AnalysisMagnetic analysis is used to design or analyze variety of devices such as solenoids,

electric motors, magnetic shields, permanent magnets, magnetic disk drives, and so

forth. Generally the quantities of interest in magnetostatic analysis are magnetic flux

density, field intensity, forces, torques, inductance, and flux linkage.

QuickField can perform linear and nonlinear magnetostatic analysis for 2-D and

axisymmetric models. The program is based on a vector potential formulation.

Following options are available for magnetic analysis:

Material properties: air, orthotropic materials with constant permeability,

ferromagnets, current carrying conductors, and permanent magnets. B-H curves for

ferromagnets can easily be defined through an interactive curve editor, see the" Editing Curves" section in .

Loading sources: current or current density, uniform external field and permanent

magnets.

Boundary conditions: Prescribed potential values (Dirichlet condition), prescribed

values for tangential flux density (Neumann condition), constant potential constraint

for zero normal flux conditions on the surface of superconductor.

Postprocessing results: magnetic potential, flux density, field intensity, forces,

torques, magnetic energy, flux linkage, self and mutual inductances.


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Special features: An integral calculator can evaluate user-defined integrals along

specified contours and surfaces. The magnetic forces can be used for stress analysis

on any existing part (magneto-structural coupling) . A self-descriptive Inductance

Wizard is available to simplify the calculation of self- and mutual inductance of the

coils. The magnetic state of the media calculated using the demagnetization curves of

all the involved materials can be remembered. for future use. In particular, it allows

for calculation of self- and mutual differential inductances of multi-coil systems

Transient Magnetic AnalysisTransient magnetics allows performing transient or steady state AC analysis

designing a variety of DC or AC devices such as electric motors, transformers, and so

forth. Generally the quantities of interest in transient magnetics analysis are time

functions of magnetic flux density, field intensity, external, induced and total current

densities, forces, torques, inductance, and flux linkage. The transient magnetic field

simulation can be coupled with electric circuit. The circuit can contain arbitrarily

connected resistors, capacitors, inductances, and solid conductors located in the

magnetic field region.

Material properties: air, orthotropic materials with constant permeability,

ferromagnets, time-dependent current carrying conductors, and permanent magnets.

B-H curves for ferromagnets easily defined with interactive curve editor, see the

" Editing Curves" section in .

Loading sources: time-dependent current or current density, uniform external field

and permanent magnets. Electric circuit can contain any number of time-dependent

current and voltage sources. QuickField introduces powerful Formula Editor allowing

to define time dependency with a wide set of intrinsic functions.

Boundary conditions: prescribed potential values (Dirichlet condition), prescribedvalues for tangential flux density (Neumann condition), constant potential constraint


Postprocessing results: magnetic potential, flux density, field intensity, external,

induced and total current densities, forces, torques, magnetic energy, flux linkage,

self and mutual inductances.

Special features: a special formula editor allows specifying virtually any type of

time-dependent sources (currents and current densities, Neumann boundary

condition). An integral calculator can evaluate user-defined integrals along specified

contours and surfaces. The magnetic forces can be used for stress analysis on any

existing part (magneto-structural coupling) . Joule heat generated in the conductors


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can be used for transient heat transfer analysis of your model (electro-thermal

coupling). QuickField provides a special type of inter-problem link to import field

distribution from another problem as initial state for transient analysis. Transient

magnetic field simulation can be coupled with electric circuit. The circuit can contain

arbitrarily connected resistors, capacitors, inductances, and solid conductors located

in the magnetic field region.

AC Magnetic AnalysisAC magnetic analysis is used to analyze magnetic field caused by alternating currents

and, vise versa, electric currents induced by alternating magnetic field (eddy

currents). This kind of analysis is useful with different inductor devices, solenoids,

electric motors, and so forth. Generally the quantities of interest in AC magnetic

analysis are electric current (and its source and induced component), voltage,

generated Joule heat, magnetic flux density, field intensity, forces, torques,

impedance and inductance. The AC magnetic field simulation can be coupled with

electric circuit. The circuit can contain arbitrarily connected resistors, capacitors,

inductances, and solid conductors located in the magnetic field region.

A special type of AC magnetic is nonlinear analysis. It allows estimating with certain

precision the behavior of a system with ferromagnets, which otherwise would require

much lengthier transient analysis.

Following options are available for AC magnetic analysis:

Material properties: air, orthotropic materials with constant permeability or

isotropic ferromagnets, current carrying conductors with known current or voltage.

Loading sources: voltage, total current, current density, uniform external field.

Electric circuit can contain any number of time-dependent current and voltage

sources.

Boundary conditions: prescribed potential values (Dirichlet condition), prescribed

values for tangential flux density (Neumann condition), constant potential constraint


Postprocessing results: magnetic potential, current density, voltage, flux density,

field intensity, forces, torques, Joule heat, magnetic energy, impedances, self and

mutual inductances.


specified contours and surfaces. The magnetic forces can be used for stress analysis

on any existing part (magneto-structural coupling); and power losses can be used as


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heat sources for thermal analysis (electro-thermal coupling). Two wizards are

available for calculation of the mutual and self-inductance of coils and for calculation

of the impedance.

Electrostatic AnalysisElectrostatic analysis is used to design or analyze variety of capacitive systems such

as fuses, transmission lines and so forth. Generally the quantities of interest in

electrostatic analysis are voltages, electric fields, capacitances, and electric forces.

QuickField can perform linear electrostatic analysis for 2-D and axisymmetric

models. The program is based on Poisson's equation. Following options are available

for electrostatic analysis:

Material properties: air, orthotropic materials with constant permittivity.

Loading sources: voltages, and electric charge density.

Boundary conditions: prescribed potential values (voltages), prescribed values fornormal derivatives (surface charges), and prescribed constraints for constant potential

boundaries with given total charges.

Postprocessing results: voltages, electric fields, gradients of electric field, flux

densities (electric displacements), surface charges, self and mutual capacitances,

forces, torques, and electric energy.


specified contours and surfaces. Floating conductors with unknown voltages and

given charges can be modeled. Electric forces can be imported into stress analysis

(electro-structural coupling). A Capacitance Wizard is available for calculation of the

self- and mutual capacitance of the conductors.

DC Conduction AnalysisDC conduction analysis is used to analyze variety of conductive systems. Generally,

the quantities of interest in DC conduction analysis are voltages, current densities,

electric power losses (Joule heat).

QuickField can perform linear DC conduction analysis for 2-D and axisymmetric

models. The program is based on Poisson's equation. Following options are available

for DC conduction analysis:

Material properties: orthotropic materials with constant resistivity.


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Loading sources: voltages, electric current density.

Boundary conditions: prescribed potential values (voltages), prescribed values for

normal derivatives (surface current densities), and prescribed constraints for constant

potential boundaries.

Postprocessing results: voltages, current densities, electric fields, electric currentthrough a surface, and power losses.


specified contours and surfaces. The electric power losses can be used as heat sources

for thermal analysis (electro-thermal coupling).

AC Conduction AnalysisAC conduction analysis is used to analyze electric field caused by alternating currents

and voltages in imperfect dielectric media. This kind of analysis is mostly used with

complex insulator systems and capacitors. Generally, the quantities of interest are

dielectric losses, voltage, electric field components, forces, and torques.

The following options are available for AC conduction analysis:

Material properties: air, orthotropic materials with constant electric conductivity

and permittivity.

Boundary conditions: prescribed voltage values (Dirichlet condition), prescribed

values for boundary current density (Neumann condition), constant potential

constraint for describing conductors in surrounding dielectric media.

Postprocessing results: voltage, electric field, current density, power and losses,

forces, and torques.


specified contours and surfaces. Electric forces can be imported into stress analysis

(electro-structural coupling); and electric losses can be used as a heat source for the

thermal analysis (electro-thermal coupling).

Transient Electric FieldTransient electric analysis is a generalization of electrostatics and conduction

analyses:


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• An electrode potential or induced current density (field sources) can be anarbitrary function of time;

• Dielectric materials can be moderately conductive,to account for dielectric losses;• Electric conductivity and permittivity of any material can vary with electric field.

In contrast to electrostatics, prescribed electric charge density cannot be a field

source.

This analysis type may be used to study the field distribution in objects subjected to

pulse sources, e.g., lightning-induced overvoltages. It may also be applied to design

modern insulation constructions, which include nonlinear field equalizing elements,

varistor overvoltage protection, and other applications, which involve zinc oxide

varistors, semiconductive ceramics, and similar materials.

The following options are available for transient electric analysis:

Material properties: air, orthotropic materials with electric field dependent

conductivity and permittivity.

Boundary conditions: prescribed voltage values (Dirichlet condition), prescribed

values for boundary current density (Neumann condition), constant potential

constraint for describing conductors in surrounding dielectric media.

Postprocessing results: voltage, electric field, conduction and displacement current

density, ohmic and reactive power and losses, forces and torques.

Special features: A calculator of is available for evaluating user-defined integrals on

given curves and surfaces. Capacitance wizard is a convenient tool to calculate the

capacitance using different methods.

Thermal AnalysisThermal analysis plays an important role in design of many different mechanical and

electrical systems. Generally the quantities of interest in thermal analysis are

temperature distribution, thermal gradients, and heat losses. Transient analysis allows

you to simulate transition of heat distribution between two heating states of a system.

QuickField can perform linear and nonlinear thermal analysis for 2-D and

axisymmetric models. The program is based on heat conduction equation with

convection and radiation boundary conditions. Following options are available for

thermal analysis:

Material properties: orthotropic materials with constant thermal conductivity,

isotropic temperature dependent conductivities, temperature dependent specific heat.


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Loading sources: constant and temperature dependent volume heat densities,

convective and radiative sources, Joule heat sources imported from DC or AC

conduction or AC or transient magnetic analysis.

Boundary conditions: prescribed temperatures, boundary heat flows, convection,

radiation, and prescribed constraints for constant temperature boundaries.

Postprocessing results: temperatures, thermal gradients, heat flux densities, and total

heat losses or gains on a given part; with transient analysis: graphs and tables of time

dependency of any quantity in any given point of a region.

Special features: A postprocessing calculator is available for evaluating user-defined

integrals on given curves and surfaces. Plate models with varying thickness can be

used for thermal analysis. The temperatures can be used for thermal stress analysis

(thermo-structural coupling). Special type of inter-problem link is provided to import

temperature distribution from another problem as initial state for transient thermal

analysis.

Stress AnalysisStress analysis plays an important role in design of many different mechanical and

electrical components. Generally the quantities of interest in stress analysis are

displacements, strains and different components of stresses.

QuickField can perform linear stress analysis for 2-D plane stress, plane strain, and

axisymmetric models. The program is based on Navier equations of elasticity.

Following options are available for stress analysis:

Material properties: isotropic and orthotropic materials.

Loading sources: concentrated loads, body forces, pressure, thermal strains, andimported electric or magnetic forces from electric or magnetic analysis.

Boundary conditions: prescribed displacements, elastic spring supports.

Postprocessing results: displacements, stress components, principal stresses, von

Mises stress, Tresca, Mohr-Coulomb, Drucker-Prager, and Hill criteria.


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21

C H A P T E R 3

Problem Description

Structure of Problem DatabaseA special database is built for each problem solved with QuickField. The core of the

database is the problem description, which is stored in file with the extension .pbm.The problem description contains the basics of the problem: its subject, plane,

precision class, etc., and also references to all other files, which constitute the

problem database. These files are the model file, with standard extension .mod, the

connected electric circuit file .qcr (where applicable) and physical data (property

description) files, with extension .dms, .dhe, .des, dtv,.dcf , .dec, .dht, or .dsa,

depending on the subject of the problem.

The problem description may refer to one or two files of physical data. Both files

have the same format, and differ only in purpose. Usually, the first data file contains

specific data related to the problem, as the second file is a library of standard material

properties and boundary conditions, which are common for a whole class of

problems.

Depending on the problem type, you may share a single model file or a single data

file between several similar problems.

While solving the problem, QuickField creates one more file—the file of results with

the extension .res. This file always has the same name as the problem description file,

and is stored in the same folder.


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22 Chapter 3 Problem Descript ion

Editing Problems• To create a new, empty problem description, click New in the File menu and

then select QuickField problem in the list that appears. Then enter the name and

path of the new problem. You can also create a new problem as a copy of another

problem being currently opened. In that case new problem inherits all the properties of the sample one and the referenced model and data documents are

copied if necessary.

• To open an existing document, click Open in the File menu, or use drag anddrop features of Windows.

Open problem documents are shown in a special view to the left of main QuickField

window. In problem view, you can edit problem description options and references to

files. The tree shows the names of files, which the problem currently references.

• To change problem settings or file names, click Problem Properties in theProblem menu or context (right mouse button) menu.

• To start editing a referenced document (model, data, secondary data or other problem referenced as coupling link), double-click its name in the tree, or clickEdit File in the context menu, or click correspondent item in Edit menu.

• To solve the problem, click Solve Problem in the Problem menu or context(right mouse button) menu.

• To analyze the results, click View Results in the Problem menu or contextmenu.

Editing problem description properties


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Editing Problems 23

Problem type: Select the type of analysis, which your problem belongs to.

Model class: Select the geometry class of your model: plane or axisymmetric. Enter

the length of plane-parallel model in z -direction (perpendicular to the model plane)

into the LZ field. Default depth of the model LZ is one meter.

Precision: Select the precision you need. Note that higher precision leads to longer

solution time.

Formulation: Select the formulation of planar stress analysis problem.

Frequency: Type the value of frequency for the time-harmonic problem. Note the

difference between frequency f and angular frequency ω: ω = 2π f.

Files: Edit the file names of your model, data files, and circuit file (if applicable).

You may use long file names. If the name is given without the full path, it is assumed

with respect to the problem description file. You can also click Browse to select file

in any folder on your hard disk or the network.

Edit: Instantly loads selected file into the new QuickField window.

Establishing Coupling LinksThe stress analysis, heat transfer, and transient magnetic problems can incorporate

data, which come from other analysis types. The data types are: electric and/or

magnetic forces and temperature field for the stress analysis, and power losses

generated by the current flow for the heat transfer. Transient problems can import

initial state of field distribution from another steady state or transient problem (at

specified time moment in case of importing from transient into static problem).


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To establish a link between the problem that imports data and the problem that

originates them, click Links tab in problem description dialog box.

To add a data link:

1. Select the type of the data in the Data Type list;

2. Type a name of the source problem in the Problem box, or click Browse button

to make the selection from the list of existing problems;

3. In case the source problem is of transient analysis type, specify the time moment

you wish to import in the Time field; if this specific time layer does not exist in

the results file, the closest time layer will be imported;

4. And, click Add button to add the link to the list of data sources.

To change a data link:

1. Select the link of choice in the Data Sources list;

2. Change the source problem name or the moment of time as necessary;

3. And, choose Update button to update the link in the list of data sources.

To delete a link:

1. Select the link of choice in the Data Sources list box;

2. And, click Delete button to delete the link from the list of data sources, or use

Delete All button to delete all data links at once.


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Editing Problems 25

The links to the imported data are considered to be a part of the problem description.

The changes made in them are preserved only if you choose OK when completing the

problem description editing. And, vice versa, if you would choose Cancel button or

press ESC, the changes made in data links will be discarded along with other changes

in problem description.

Setting Time ParametersWith problems of transient analysis type, you need to set up the time parameters,

before the problem can be solved. To do so, click Timing tab in the problem

description dialog box.

Calculate up to: Specify the period of time you wish to simulate. Simulation always

starts at ‘zero’ time moment.

With the step of: Specify the step size for the calculation. In transient analysis, this isthe most important parameter controlling the precision of calculations in time domain:

the smaller the step, the better the precision. Usually you will have minimum of 15 to

20 steps for the whole integration period. It may have sense to start with bigger value

of this parameter and then decrease it if the result seems to change not smoothly

enough.

If for some model you cannot estimate suitable time parameters, we recommend that

you set some arbitrary value for the time period, and set the step size to have 5-7

points of integration, and then explore the X-Y plots against time in several points in

the domain to tune the parameters.

Auto: specifies that QuickField should calculate step size automatically.


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Store the results every: defines the time increment for saving the results of

calculation to the file. This value must be equal or greater than the step size.

Starting from the moment: defines the first point to be written to the file. If this

value is zero, the initial state will be written.

Automatic Time Step Size Calculation in Transient Analys isIn transient analysis, QuickField is now capable to automatically calculate and adjust

the time step size for the integration process.

To calculate the initial time step size, the following conservative estimate is used:

Δt 0 = min (ξ2/4α),

where ξ is the "mesh size" (diameter of a mesh element)

andC

λα =ρ

⎯ for problems of heat transfer,

1

g α =

μ ⎯ for magnetic problems.

The ratio ξ2/4α is evaluated in all the mesh elements in the model, and the smallestvalue is used as an initial time step size.

As the solution progresses, the time steps are adjusted automatically by an adaptive

time stepping scheme.

The next time step is adjusted by

Δt n +1 = k Δt n,

where k is a scaling factor varying from 0.25 to 4.0 (with discrete values of 0.25; 0.5;

1.0; 2.0; 4.0) and dependent on behavior of potential and its time derivative, as well

as all the time- and coordinate-dependent sources and boundary conditions in the

model.

The two factors are taken into account when choosing the value of k :


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Editing Problems 27

• The norm of time derivative variation on previous time step in all mesh nodes:

1

1

2 n n

nn n

u uu

u u

−

−

−Δ =

+

& &

& &

• The inverse of characteristic time:

{ } { }

{ } { }

1

n

T

n n nn T

n T n

u F F

u K u

−Δ −ω =⎡ ⎤Δ Δ⎣ ⎦

,

In thermal analysis, { F n} is the heat flow vector associated with conduction,

convection, and radiation. In magnetics, { F n} is a vector of induction, u - is a

potential value, and K T is a stiffness matrix in the finite-element analysis.

The actual value of scaling factor k is chosen based upon two dimensionless

characteristics: nuΔ and 2π/Δt nωn, by means of predetermined proprietary thresholdtables, and the smaller is considered to be used for the next time step size, thus

guaranteeing to produce smooth and accurate time dependency in every spatial point

of the model.

Choosing Length UnitsQuickField allows you to use various units for coordinates when creating model's

geometry. You can use microns, millimeters, centimeters, meters, kilometers, inches,

feet, or miles. To set the units of preference, choose Coordinates tab in problem

description dialog box.


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Chosen units are associated with each particular problem, which gives you freedom to

use different units for different problems. Usually units of length are chosen before

creating the model geometry. It is possible to change units of length later, but it does

not affect physical dimensions of the model. So, if you create your geometry as a

square with 1 m side and then switch to centimeters, you will get a square measured

100 cm by 100 cm, which is the same as it was before. To actually change size of the

model you should rather use Scaling option of the Move Selection command of the

Model Editor (see page 36 for details).

The choice of length units does not affect units for other physical parameters, which

always use standard SI units. E.g., the current density is always measured in A/m 2

and never in A/mm2. The only physical quantity that is measured in chosen units of

length, is the displacement vector in stress analysis problems.

Cartesian vs. Polar CoordinatesProblem geometry as well as material properties and boundary conditions can be

defined in Cartesian or polar coordinate systems. There are several places inQuickField where you can make choice between Cartesian and polar coordinate

systems. Using Coordinates tab in problem description dialog box you can define the

default coordinate system associated with a problem. The same option is also

available in the Model Editor and in the Postprocessor. Definition of orthotropic

material properties, some loads and boundary conditions depends on the choice of the

coordinate system. You can choose Cartesian or polar coordinate system for each

element of data individually and independently from the default coordinate system

associated with the problem. This choice is available in the dialog boxes of the Data

Editor.

Problem Properties WindowThe Properties window can be opened using the Properties command in the View

menu. This window is docked to the task windows by default or can switched to

floating.


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Editing Problems 29

The Properties window dynamically displays the current problem's properties.

Here you can review and modify the common properties of the problem such as

problem type, class, accuracy, and geometry or material data file names. Changing

certain problem parameters will invalidate the existing solution. In this case you will

be given a warning.

To link a problem in the “Coupled problems” section, select the imported physical

property type and choose or enter the name of the source problem. The new link will

be checked and if the problem meets the coupling criteria, the new link will be added

to the list. To remove an existing link, simply clear the source problem filename fromthe corresponding property.


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31

C H A P T E R 4

Model Geometry Definit ion

This chapter describes the process of building the geometric model —a type of

QuickField document describing the problem geometry.

TerminologyGeometric Model , or simply Model , is the name we use for the collection containing

all geometric shapes of a problem. Besides being an object container the model helps

to link the contained objects with related material properties, field sources, and

boundary conditions.

Vertex, edge and block are three basic types of geometric objects contained by

QuickField models.

Each Vertex represents a point. Point coordinates could be either explicitly specified

by user or automatically calculated by QuickField at the intersection of two edges.

For each vertex you can define its mesh spacing value and its label. The mesh

spacing value defines the approximate distance between mesh nodes in the

neighborhood of the vertex. Define vertex label to link a vertex with, for example, a

line source or load.

Each Edge represents a linear segment or a circular arc connecting two vertices.

Model edges do not intersect each other. Creating new model edge QuickField splits

it as many times as needed at intersection points with existing model edges and at the

points represented by existing model vertices. QuickField also automatically creates

new model vertices representing intersection points of the new edge and splits the old

model edges at these points. Define edge label to link an edge with, for example,

related boundary conditions.


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32 Chapter 4 Model Geometry Definition

Each Block represents a continuous subregion of the model plane. External block

boundary is a sequence of edges. Blocks might contain holes. Each of internal

boundaries separating a block from its holes is either a sequence of edges or a single

isolated vertex.

All blocks included in field calculation must be meshed and labeled. QuickField can

mesh any subset of model blocks. The mesh density depends on mesh spacing values

defined for model vertices. These values are either calculated automatically by

QuickField or specified for particular vertices by the user. Define block label to link

the block with, for example, related material properties or distributed field sources.

Each Label is a string of up to 16-character length. Labels establish the

correspondence between model objects - blocks, edges, and vertices - and numerical

data describing such real world entities as material properties, loads and boundary

conditions. Any printable characters including letters, digits, punctuation marks and

space characters are permitted. Labels cannot begin with space; trailing spaces are

ignored. Labels are case sensitive.

The Mesh Spacing value defines an approximate distance between mesh nodes in theneighborhood of a model vertex. Mesh spacing property is associated with vertices

and measured in the current units of length. Setting mesh spacing values for some

vertices you can control the accuracy of the solution.

Geometry DescriptionModel development consists of three stages:

• Geometry description and manipulation;• Definition of properties, field sources and boundary conditions;

• Mesh generation.

Creating Model ObjectsTo describe model geometry create vertices and edges that form boundaries of all

subregions having different physical properties. Use Move and Duplicate operations

to adjust shapes and coordinates of created objects to your needs. To perform editing

actions upon several objects at once use the selection mechanism. Assign labels to

blocks, edges, and vertices to link them with such real world objects as material

properties, boundary conditions and loads. Build mesh in all blocks participating in

field calculation.


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Geometry Descript ion 33

There are two options available for creating the finite element mesh for your model:

• Fully automated method that generates a smooth mesh with a density based onregion's dimensions and sizes of geometrical details. This option does not require

any information from the user.

• The second method allows you to choose the mesh density. In this case you needto define the spacing values at few vertices of your choice. Spacing values for

other vertices are calculated automatically to make the mesh distribution smooth.

Creating Edges

To create new edges:

• Choose Insert Mode in the Edit menu, or click the Insert Vertices/Edges toolbar button or context menu item, or press INS, to switch model view into

insert mode.

• Specify the angle of the new edge in the New Edge Angle box on the toolbar.Use one of the predefined angles provided in the list, or type another value in the

edit box. To create a linear segment specify zero angle.• Left-drag the mouse from the starting point of the edge to its end, or useSHIFT+DIRECTION keys. The ends of the created edge can coincide with the

existing model vertices, otherwise QuickField automatically creates the new

vertex (vertices) as needed, so that QuickField, adding the new edge to the

model, always connects two existing model vertices together. Switch on the snap

to grid option (default), to force the new vertices on the current grid. Navigating

with the keyboard, use the CTRL key to fine tune the points.

Creating Vertices

To create new vertices:

• Choose Insert Mode in the Edit menu, or click the Insert Vertices/Edges toolbar button or context menu item, or press INS, to switch model view into

insert mode.

• Make sure that current coordinate grid settings fit coordinates of the vertices youwant to create.

• Use mouse or DIRECTION keys to move the cursor to the vertex insertion pointand double-click the left mouse button or press ENTER .

Or:

• Choose Add Vertices from the Edit menu.• Enter new vertex coordinates and click Add. Repeat if you need more vertices.

• Click Close.


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Attract ion Distance

To avoid small unrecognizable inaccuracies in geometry definition, new vertices or

edges cannot be created very close to the existing objects. Creation of new geometric

objects is controlled by the value we denote by ε and call the attraction distance.

The following rules apply to creation of new vertices and edges.

• New vertices cannot be created within 2ε -neighborhood of the existing vertex.• New edge cannot connect the ends of the existing edge and lie inside its

ε -neighborhood.

The value of ε is proportional to the size of the visible region, so to create very small

details you would have to zoom in the model window.

Basic Objects Manipulation

Objects Selection

To select geometric objects:

1. If the Insert Mode is on, press INS to switch it off.

2. Keep CTRL pressed if you want to add objects to the selection set instead of

replacing it.

3. Click any model object to select it alone, or press any mouse button outside of

selected objects and drag diagonally to select all objects that entirely fit inside the

displayed rubberband rectangle.

Note. Keep in mind that when you click inside a block QuickField select neither

boundary edges nor vertices. Similarly, when you click in the middle of an edge

QuickField does not select either of its ending vertices. This might be important for

correct understanding of such model operations as Delete, Duplicate, and Move.

If you want to select a block and its boundary edges or an edge and its ending

vertices, drag the mouse to select the required objects with a rubberband rectangle.

You can also use Select All and Unselect All commands in the Edit or context menu.

Note that you can select objects of different types - blocks, edges or vertices - at once.

The set of selected model objects is shared between the windows displaying the

model. If several windows display the same model, selected objects are highlighted in

all of them.


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Keyboard shortcuts:

Select All CTRL+A

Unselect All CTRL+D

To select all model objects having the same label, click this label in the Problem Tree

View.

Geometric Objects: Duplicating and Moving

The Duplicate feature allows easily create geometric objects at regularly defined

coordinates. To duplicate:

1. Select the set of model objects (vertices, edges and blocks) you want to duplicate.

2. Choose Duplicate Selection from the Edit or context menu. QuickField will

display the Duplicate Selection dialog asking for parameters.

3. Choose the required transformation, enter its parameters in the dialog fields, and

click OK . QuickField will add the duplicated objects to the model automaticallyselecting all of them. The rest of the objects will be unselected

QuickField copies labels and spacing values associated with duplicated objects

wherever possible. New model blocks are always unmeshed.

The first copy of a model object is always the result of the specified transformation

applied to the object itself. When the transformation allows to create several copies of

every involved object simultaneously, the second and the following copies of any

object are the results of the transformation applied to the preceding copies

You can also move the selected objects to another location. The only limitation is that

QuickField will not perform moves that change the model topology. You cannot


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move vertices or edges into any block or out of the containing block. To move

selected objects , choose Move Selection in the Edit or context menu. The displayed

Move Selection dialog is similar to the Duplicate Selection dialog described above.

Successful Move preserves all labels and spacing values. Mesh is preserved in the

blocks that are not reshaped.

QuickField always removes the mesh from the reshaped blocks before checking that

the topology remains unchanged. So, if you try a move that changes the model

topology QuickField will block it displaying the corresponding message, and in result

of the operation you might find that some of the blocks are no longer meshed.

If you do not like the results of your operation, use Undo to restore the previous state

of the model

Geometric transformations available with move and copy operations are:

• Displacement — parallel displacement is applied to selected objects for

specified displacement vector. With copy operation, several copies can be askedfor, it means that copying operation will be performed several times, each time

being applied to the previous result. Parameters needed are displacement vector

components.

• Rotation — selected objects are rotated around the specified point for thespecified angle. With copy operation, several copies can be asked for, it means

that copying operation will be performed several times, each time being applied

to the previous result. Parameters needed are center of rotation coordinates and

angle measured in degrees.

• Symmetry — selected objects are mirrored; symmetry line is specified bycoordinates of any point on it and the angle between the horizontal axis and the

symmetry line. Positive value of an angle means counter-clockwise direction.

This transformation is available for copy operation only.• Scaling — selected objects are dilated (constricted) by means of homothetic

transformation. Parameters needed are center of homothety and scaling factor.

This transformation is available for move operation only.

There is also a more simple method of copying and moving of the geometric objects –

mouse dragging (see Drag and Drop and Clipboard Editing ). Drag-and drop is

possible within the same or different model editor windows.

Deleting Objects

To delete geometric objects:


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1. Select the objects you want to delete.

2. In the Edit or context menu, click Delete Selection.

If the selection contains the vertex (vertices) adjacent to exactly two rema

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